Not My 1st Rodeo (8 page)

Chapter Eight

Melly didn't know what to say. She'd agreed to take a walk, partly because she wanted to hear what he had to say and partly because she really needed a few minutes to get her head in the right space.

The past month, as she and Leanne had traveled the coast, she'd done a lot of thinking. She'd thought about the ranch, about her family, about Brett, and about letting go. She'd come to terms with it for herself, but the idea of her parents leaving the place they'd lived for over thirty years broke her heart. They'd invested so much time and energy and love into the place to just up and leave.

Walking in and seeing Brett sitting at the kitchen table? Her reaction had been so instantaneous, so unexpected that she'd immediately thrown up barriers in the form of hostility. But it wasn't her anger at Brett that had resurfaced. She might have been able to deal with that. It was something else. It was attraction and longing that had slammed into her like a freight train, stealing her breath. After everything, he still had the power to turn her to mush—and all without saying a word.

Finding out he'd made provisions for her parents to stay meant more than she could say. But she had to try. She already owed him an apology. Knowing he'd taken this step simply blew her mind.

Melly knew where she needed to take him. They followed a path behind the house, through the grove of trees to a meadow, and then through more woods until they came to a narrow creek burbling over the rocks and stones.

“It's peaceful in here,” Brett commented, letting out a big breath. “I've seen the whole ranch, but I never knew this was here.”

“I kept it a secret,” she said softly, picking her way down over the bank to the water. There was a spot part way down where the dirt had eroded away from a thick tree root, and it formed a natural seat about four feet wide. Melly eased herself into it and patted the hard earth beside her. “Come sit on my sofa,” she invited.

He did, stretching out his long legs. The air was cool in the shade of the trees and the sound of the trickling water was soothing.

“You know your big view back at the Lazy H? This is that place for me.” She turned her head and looked at his profile. “I used to come here to ease my tension and stress. It was a busy spot during my teenage years.”

He chuckled, the sound low and warm.

“Brett, I'm sorry. What you're doing for my parents…well, I'm not sure Dustin would have done the same.” It pained her to admit it, but it was true. Dustin had a family. He would have moved into the house and not thought twice about it. Which would have been his right. Maybe that was what made Brett's compromise that much more amazing.

“It was Manda's idea,” he replied, staring at the stream. “Turns out she has some good ones now and again.”

“That's generous of you to say. I mean, our first few dates were good up until…well, you know. Until it all blew up. I did a lot of thinking this summer, and I realized my whole perspective was clouded by fear and emotion. It was unfair of me to blame you for everything, or to expect you to change your plans. It had far more to do with feelings I hadn't dealt with yet.”

“About James.”

“Yeah.” She sighed. “I thought I had, but having feelings for someone again, and then finding out you were the one trying to buy the ranch…I thought it was you I didn't trust. Turns out it was my own judgment.”

He turned a little, though the seat afforded minimal room. His knee bumped against hers as he looked into her eyes. “You weren't the only one who was stubborn. I considered withdrawing my offer. The fact that it even crossed my mind scared the hell out of me. I felt like you wanted me to change who I was, and I'd already had to do that before, only it failed miserably. Maybe neither of us was ready to enter the dating game again.”

Did that mean he wasn't interested now? Not that she deserved another chance after all she'd said.

“The thing is…” Her tongue felt thick in her mouth as she fumbled around for words. “The whole time I was gone, I couldn't stop thinking about you. I thought I'd go away and shake this whole thing off, come back, make a fresh start. Instead, I found you at my parents' kitchen table and everything came rushing back and…” She looked away, embarrassed. “Well.”

“What are you saying?” he asked.

She took a deep breath. “Not that I'd deserve it, but I'd like to give us another chance.”

That little sideways smile teased his lips. She'd missed that.

“Like go out on a date?”

“Maybe.” She looked into his eyes, found warmth and invitation there. “Maybe just take things one day at a time and see where it goes.”

He lifted his hand and placed it on the side of her cheek. “You keep saying you don't deserve a second chance. But, Mel, one of the things I did after you left was try to put myself in your shoes. I get it. All of our actions are colored by our past experiences.” He smiled, bigger now. “Hey, just because you were wrong about me doesn't mean I don't understand where you were coming from.”

She rolled her eyes, amazed that they were actually teasing about this. “I see your ego didn't suffer any permanent damage.” She put her hand over his. “Aw, hell, you have to know I'm kidding. You probably have the least ego of anyone I've ever met.”

He moved his thumb, rubbing against the tender skin of her cheek, the teasing expression gone from his face. Just tenderness remained, and her heart did a crazy weird thump thing. The sun created dappled shadows around them, the birds in the trees and the rushing stream their background music. And when Brett leaned forward and kissed her this time, she met him halfway, curling her hand around his neck and drawing him closer.

This kiss was different, Melly realized. Better. One hundred times better. There was still sweetness and passion, but now there was something more. Trust. Acceptance. Possibility. All the things she'd wanted and had been searching for.

And when he pulled her into his embrace and wrapped his arms around her, she figured that maybe she'd been right after all. Maybe there really was nothing like a cowboy.

Chapter Nine

The leaves on the poplars and birches were like millions of gold coins, glowing against the blue sky and creating a gilded carpet on the forest floor.

Brett held Mel's cold hand in his as they ambled through the grove, something they often did on Sunday afternoons when she came out to the ranch. Her favorite spot had now become his too. They often sat on the creek bank and cuddled together, isolated from the outside world. The last time they'd come out here, they'd made love under the canopy of the trees. It had been the first time since they'd decided to start over. For Brett, it had been something particularly precious. It hadn't been the rushed and fevered joining that they'd experienced at the beginning of their relationship. It had been slow and profound. It had stirred something inside him that he welcomed and yet scared him too. He'd fallen in love with her, heart and soul.

“What are you thinking?” Mel asked, nudging his shoulder as they walked. “You're awfully quiet.”

“I was thinking about the last time we walked out here,” he replied, squeezing her hand.

“Oh, right.” She looked up at him and her eyes twinkled at him. “Listen, cowboy, it's getting a little chilly to be sneaking off to have sex in the great outdoors.”

“I can think of ways to keep you warm.”

“I just bet you can.”

He could hear the trickle of the creek ahead, but he slowed his steps, nervous but in a good sort of way. Today was the right time. He wanted to take things to the next step.

So he tugged on her hand, pulling her off the dirt path. The light in her eyes told him that sneaking kisses would be a welcome pastime, so he indulged her by pressing her against a smooth birch trunk and tasting her lips, slowly and thoroughly. As always, her gentle touch made his body spring to life, and before long they were both breathless.

“You're very good at that,” Mel whispered, snuggling close against his jacket. “I missed you this week.”

“I missed you too.” He'd rented a room with a kitchenette at a local motel while the house was being built, and it was damned lonely at night. “Our phone calls just aren't the same as seeing you in person.”

“Hey, I showed you how to chat on your laptop.”

“Didn't the dating site thing convince you I'm a techno-idiot?”

She laughed. “Maybe you just need to be properly motivated. I'll have to make the view…interesting.”

“Tease.”

But he loved it. Ever since they'd cleared the air, she'd been so open, so amazing. It wasn't perfect; nothing ever was, and they both knew it. It was, however, a real revelation to be so compatible with someone. They liked and appreciated so many of the same things. She embraced his way of life because she'd lived it and loved it herself, and he'd never experienced that sort of acceptance before. In return, he loved that she preferred these afternoon walks to other more sophisticated activities, where he felt out of place. He was learning that as a teacher she was big on organization, and he was more of a go-with-the-flow kind of guy. But Brett figured that just balanced them out a bit and kept things from being boring.

“Mel?”

“Yes?” She'd stuck her hands in his jacket pockets and was grinning up at him cheekily.

“I love you.”

The smile slid from her face, replaced by a look of surprise and what he hoped was wonderment. “Brett,” she whispered. “I…wow.” Her dark eyes were wide and luminous as she looked up at him. “You…when did this happen? How?”

It wasn't quite the response he was hoping for, but he pressed on anyway. “It snuck up on me, I guess. But last weekend, I knew. When we were together it was…different. Suddenly, it wasn't just me and you anymore, but us.”

He cradled her face in his hands. “I don't know how to explain it, other than to say that when I was inside you, something clicked. Fell into place. Like turning on a light in a dark room, you know? It had been coming for a while, but that was the moment that I knew without a doubt that I was in love with you.”

She swallowed and her eyes glistened with emotion. “I love you too.”

He let out a breath. “Thank God.”

Their soft laughter floated away on the air. “When did you know?” he asked.

She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “So remember the Friday night I showed up and you had the bouquet of daisies that you'd picked? That was the clincher for me. No one has ever picked me flowers before. I remember thinking that this was the sort of man I should have been with all along. If I'd had any hesitation, it was gone after that moment.”

“And you didn't say anything?” He'd been tormenting himself all week and she'd already been there?

“I didn't want to be the one to say it first,” she admitted, blinking, her lips curving in a sweet smile. “Besides, I thought all you cowboys liked to take the initiative.”

He tilted her chin, gazed into her eyes. “Not about everything, minx.”

“Hey, guess what?”

“What?”

“I love you.”

He couldn't stop smiling. Manda was near impossible these days, crowing about her success as a matchmaker, but he let her because he was happy. For the first time in as long as he could remember, he was perfectly content. He was working his own place, had a woman he loved, and the future was looking at lot brighter than it had a few short months ago.

“I can't wait for the house to be finished,” he said, sliding his hands down to her shoulders. “When it is, I'm going to carry you up to the bedroom and make love to you all weekend.”

“Mmm. Sounds lovely. Any ETA on that?”

“Contractor says three, maybe four weeks.”

“That's a long time.”

“Tell me about it.”

They started walking back towards the path, their boots making shushing sounds in the leaves.

“Mel?”

“Yes?”

He took a breath and said the other thing that had been on his mind for a while now. “I wish you didn't live so far away.”

She laughed. “It's only an hour.”

“I know. I miss you during the week, that's all. I know that you have work and then prep and marking and all.”

This time she was the one to tug on his hand, halting their progress. “Well, I've been doing some thinking about that myself.”

“You have?”

She nodded. Her cheeks were pink from the autumn air, and he was certain that even without any makeup she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever met. Lord, was he getting sappy or what?

“I was thinking about looking for a teaching position a little closer for next year. I mean, I don't want to assume anything, but…well, I'd be closer to my mom and dad. And as far as you and me…”

She touched a finger to his nose. “I'm done with sabotaging the best thing to happen to me by letting doubts creep in. I love you. You love me. And today that's enough. It doesn't get any better than that.”

But oh, she was wrong, Brett thought. His heart was full as he gazed into her eyes and caught a fleeting glimpse of forever.

“It gets better all right,” he promised. “You just wait and see.”

About the Author

A busy wife and mother, Donna Alward believes hers is the best job in the world: a combination of stay-at-home mom and romance novelist.

An avid reader since childhood, Donna always made up her own stories. She completed her Arts Degree in English Literature in 1994, but it wasn't until 2001 that she penned her first full-length novel, and found herself hooked on writing romance. In 2006 she sold her first manuscript.

Donna loves being back on the East Coast of Canada after nearly twelve years in Alberta where her Harlequin career began, writing about cowboys and the west. Donna's debut Harlequin Romance,
Hired by the Cowboy
, was awarded the Booksellers' Best Award in 2008 for Best Traditional Romance.

Donna loves to hear from readers; you can contact her through her website at
www.donnaalward.com
, visit her Facebook page, find her on Twitter at
@DonnaAlward
or through her publishers.